HAPPY NEW YEAR

Hi everyone,

I miss blogging and visiting my friend's blogs but these days have been very busy and I didn't have time to blog. We had a very good time at Christmas and we're going to travel this evening. We'll be in Madeira island to welcome the new year. Please pray for us. I wish you all a wonderful year, full of blessings. May God bless all of you.

I have received two awards, from Carla, and from Linda. Thank you to both of you for these awards. Today I don't have time to pass them to anyone but I'll do that when I come back.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Merry Christmas to You

I'm not having any time to blog, so I want to wish you all a merry Christmas. May God bless you all!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MUM!

Happy Birthday, Roses

Being there

Love is Patient

This past week, God led me to some people who were in real need of help, of love, of compassion, of prayer. At first, I was happy to know that God was using me as an instrument to touch those lives. I usually say that one of the good things of being at home is to be available for other people when they need you. Well, of course you can always do something for other people even if you're not at home! But then there was a moment of selfishness, where I thought that I was getting into too much trouble. I don't like to admit this but it's true. Being there for those who need you is not easy at all. It's nice to be around when things are going well but when the going gets tough, it is much more difficult. But that's what God wants us to do and that's what christian life is all about. About love, about compassion.

And I want to be there. When things go well but especially when times are difficult.

1 Corinthians 13
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.
4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. 11When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 12Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
13And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Christmas quiz

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? .... Wrapping paper
2. Real tree or Artificial? ....Artificial.
3. When do you take the tree down? ...6th January
4. How do you like your eggnog? .... Never tried
5. Do you have a nativity scene? .... Yes, we have two.
6. Describe this year's Christmas cards? ....Hand-made
7. Favorite Christmas Movie? ...I don't have a favourite one.
8. When do you start shopping for Christmas? .... Sometimes too early, sometimes too late.
9. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? ....Well...yes.
10. Lights on the tree? .... Yes, lots of multicolour lights.
11. Favorite Christmas song (s)? I love them all.
12. Angel on the tree top or a star? ....We usually have angels or trees but this year we have a Santa Claus!!!
13. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? ....Christmas Eve
14. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? .... people who hate Christmas.
15. Favorite ornament theme or color? .... Angels.
16. What do you want for Christmas this year? ....I would love to get pregnant but it's just a dream.
17. Favorite thing about Christmas? Love
18. What decoration do you put on your door? A different one every year. This year we have bows, a santa and an angel.
19. What strange gift have you bought this year? No strange gifts
20. Do you buy Christmas stuff the day after? No.

Now it's your turn---leave me a comment if you do it.

News

My daughter is feeling much better today and I thank God for that.

Show and Tell Friday

Kelli is hosting Show and Tell Friday and today I want to show what I wrote and drew when I was 7 and was studying in South Africa.

Some cooking

My DD is not well yet but I think she's getting better because this morning she was hungry, she had something to eat and she hasn't vomitted yet. But yesterday was a very difficult day for her.

Yesterday, when she finally fell asleep, I went to the kitchen and did dome cooking. Soup, some biscuits and apple crumble, inspired by Alfazema, and which I had never made before. I have no photos of my apple crumble because they didn't come out very well, but I can tell you it was delicious.

Great post

I found this great post at LAF. That's what I mean when I say that I am happy to be at home, not only because I'm caring for my family and home, but because I am available for others.

Daydreaming about a new bedroom

You can see this bedroom here.

Still Thankful

Grateful Heart

My DD is not feeling well today. She's been vomiting since 7am and now she also has diarrhea. And of course my day is not going as planned. It's 2pm and I haven't done much today. But still I am thankful for so many things. For our lives, for our health because there are a lot of people (and also children) who are going through much more difficult times, due to disease or other reasons. I'm also thankful for being able to be at home with my daughter, for a loving husband, for a wonderful family, for wonderful friends, and the list goes on and on. I know that we say these things quite often but I think it's never too much. We have to think about this every day. Instead of moaning when things are not as we expected, we should look at the loooooooong list of blessings that we have in our lives and be thankful for each one of them.

Christmas Cards

Yesterday, we made some more Christmas cards. As usual, the photos are not very good but at least you get an idea.

Show and Tell Friday

Today, I would like to show you this beautiful mug my Mum gave me this year. I love roses just as she does and since shegave it to me, I always drink my tea there. But I have a good collection of mugs. For more Show and Tell, go there.

Work in progress

I'm trying to change the «looks» of my blog but as I'm not very good at it (still learning), it is kind of weird. Sorry!

Does Christmas have to be a sad time?

Last Saturday, I spent the afternoon with some older people of our church and it was really a great time. I love spending time with this age group and listening to all their stories. They spoke about Christmas memories. All of them had something to share but in the end, all of them told the same: that Christmas is for children, that Christmas has no meaning as we grow older and that Christmas is a sad time because at this time of their lives, they have already lost many dear ones. And this made me think about the reasons why we say that.

Does Christmas really have to be a sad time?

I don't want to judge anyone because I'm still quite young, I still have my parents and one grandmother alive, I have children at home, so it is easier for me to speak. But I know, from other people's experience, that it is possible to feel happy at Christmas. And why?

Because Christmas is not just about children, or presents, or a house full of people. It is about the birth of Jesus Christ. And, as believers, we should feel very happy for that.

Statistics show that Christmas is one of the most stressful times of the year and that many people find themselves depressed because of Christmas. Is it really because of Christmas? Why does this happen?

1. We all want to have the perfect Christmas: we want to buy the perfect presents, we want to host the perfect party and we want to do everything that it is on our Christmas list. But we don't have to. There is nothing perfect and we have to be realistic about this. And there's no problem at all if we don't do everthing that is on the list. We should consider other options, do what is possible and relax. And always spend within a budget because if we go into debt to buy Christmas presentes, we will have another reason to feel stressed at the beginning of the new year.
2. Many people face Christmas alone and saddened for many reasons: divorce, no friends, old age, no children at home... But again, we can do something to change this.

• get busy with other activities at home.
• go to your church and look for parties and groups of people who are in the same situation as you.
• phone your family and friends and invite them to visit you.
• volunteer to help someone who is in a worse situation.
• And PRAY.

3. When we have lost our loved ones, we don't feel happy and we don't want to celebrate. Sometimes we even feel guilty because we think we are disrespecting the memory of the loved ones that passed on. When this happens, we have to pray for God to help us not feel this way and honour the memory of our loved ones by enjoying the present and celebrating Christmas.

We should never forget that the most important thing about Christmas is to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ and our relationship with Him. And as we grow older, we should count our blessings and not the sad facts of our lives.

Psalm 126
When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream.
Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then it was said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.”
The Lord has done great things for us, and we rejoiced.
Restore our fortunes, O Lord, like the watercourses in the Negeb.
May those who sow in tears reap with shouts of joy.
Those who go out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, carrying their sheaves.

Rejoice

Paper Crafting Thursday

Kelli is hosting Paper Crafting Thursday and I'm participating with this homemade card (inspired in one Kelli made some time ago) that my stepson is going to give his Dad this Christmas. No problem on showing it because DH never comes to my blog, unless I ask him to do that!!!

Christmas Wreath

Inspired on Kelli's wreath, we made our own. We didn't have any green paper, so we used pink! It was fun doing it and we like it.

Who is our God?

Be Still

Lately, there was a situation that made me feel a bit sad and that made me think about who is our God. I'm not going to write about that specific situation because I don't want to expose anyone but I would just like to say that I feel sad when people go to church or to some church activity just because a certain pastor or preacher is going to be there. It is obvious that there are people who are more gifted to preach than others, but we shouldn't go to church just because that person is going to be there. We have wonderful preachers whom we love to listen to but they're not our gods. We only have one God and He is everywhere. The Bible says: «For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them" (Matthew, 18:20).

Our Christmas decorations

Nothing new because we can't afford new decorations but it looks nice, doesn't it?

Exposição de Artes na Associação Moradores Santo António dos Cavaleiros

Estas são algumas das coisas bonitas que lá podem ver.

The Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY

1. December.2008

Outside my window... It is raining and it is freezing.

I am thinking...That it is wonderful to be at home, where it is warm and cosy.

I am thankful for...Our dear friends that visited us today: Elismara, Márcio and Letícia.

From the kitchen...We had a delicious meal but now I have to wash the dishes.

I am wearing...A flowery skirt, a black sweater and my newest apron.

I am creating...I tried a new receipe today and will create some more Christmas cards once I have the dishes done.

I am going...To wash the dishes, to make some Christmas cards and read.

I am reading...What matters most, by Luanne Rice

I am hoping...To be able to do everything I need and want to do this week.

I am hearing...Nothing at all. My husband and daughter are not at home at the moment and when they're not here, I prefer staying in silence.

Around the house...Lots of things to do. There's always so much to do at home.

One of my favorite things...Looking at our Christmas decorations.

A few plans for the rest of the week...Finish my Christmas lists. Make some more Christmas cards. Wrap some presents. Visit a friend at the hospital. And all the usual things, as well.

Here is picture thought I am sharing...

My daughter's drawing in the computer.

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